Furniture slip cover



May 1, 1951 c, E 2,551,214

' I FURNITURE SLIP COVER Filed Nov. 12, 1949 2 Sheeis-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

[iozzel 6'. lelzz May 1, 1951 c, LENZ FURNITURE s'LiP COVER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 12, 1949 INVENTOR. BY 120261 6167122 Patented May 1, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFlcE Lionel that; Ch c 111-, a snor to Sam Pass, Chicago, Ill,

Application November 12, 1949, Serial No. 126,885 a c s; (01. 155-182) This invention relates to improvements in furniture slip covers and particularly to covers for use on Cogswell type chairs. Chairs of the type mentioned comprise upholstered seats and back rests and wooden arms extending forwardly from the back rests to positions a short distance to the rear of the forward ends of the seats and thence downwardly for joinder of the lower ends of the arms with thebase of the chair. The forwardly extending portions of the wooden arms usually are provided over portions of their length with upholstered arm rests. The wooden arm construction is a feature of design of Cogswell chairs and in the manufacture of slip covers for such chairs heretofore, it has been common practice to provide the covers with integral arm compartments which enclosed the entire arms, thereby concealing the ornamental wood arms which typify chairs of the style under considera;- tion. Such prior slip covers have been found objectionable to some users not only because they conceal the ornamental wood arms of the chairs, but since the arm cover sections enclose the upholstered portions of the arm rests, which upholstered sections are considerably bulkier or of greater width than the wood arms themselves, and hence cover compartments have fitted the arms as a whole rather loosely and thus the covers lacked the neat, trim appearance desired.

One object of the present invention is to provide an improved slip cover for chairs of the Cogswell type which is of unitary construction, preferably, and covers only the upholstery of the chairs in-.- cluding the upholstered arm rests, leaving the exposed wooden portions of the arms uncovered for preserving the characteristic styling of the chairs.

Inasmuch as chairs of the style mentioned, as made by different manufacturers, vary some what in their relative dimensions and particularly with respect to the location of the forward vertical portions of the arms with reference to the forward ends of the seats or base'portions of the chairs, another object of the invention relates to features of construction which enable the improved covers to be fitted neatly to such chairs notwithstanding the variations mentioned and without concealing the exposed ornamental wood portions of the arms. An additional object of the invention is to provide a cover for a Cogswell type chair having improved cover sections for the upholstered arm rests of the chair which are readily adjustable to accommodate the same to arm rests of various shapes and sizes. Other objects of the invention relate to ,2 various features of construction and arrange; merit of parts which will be apparent from a consideration of the following specification and the accompan ing drawings, wherein:

Figure -1 is a broken perspective view of a Cog swell type chair showing thereon a cover embodying the present improvements;

Fig. 2 is a perspective View of the chair show-: ing the cover partially positioned on the chair;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the chairshowing the cover more nearly in final position on the chair;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the chair, loing from the rear; showing the cover substantially in the state of placement on the chair, as is shown in Fig 3; a

Fig. 5 is a perspective View of a rear portion ofthe chair showing the cover fully inplace thereon;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view of the cover taken on a vertical plane longitudinally of the chair and showing the cover portions in the relative positions they occupy when on a chair; v

Fig. 7 is a broken View of the lower side of a chair arm showing the arm rest. cover section inposition on the arm; and

Fig. 8 is a broken side elevational view of a.

portion of the cover that spans the lower pore tion or a chair arm which is attached to the base of the chair. V

In the drawings, the chair is shown as comprising an upholstered seat portion I0; a back rest portion H and arms indicated generally.- by the numeral 42. Each arm comprises a sub? stantially horizontal portion 13 which intypes of the chairs mentioned above are provided with upholstered arm rests indicated at M. The arms. have downwardly extending forward portions J15 which are secured to the lower portion or basev of the chair. v

The improved slip covier comprises .a back rest cover panel 16 joined along the upper portion of the vertical side edges to shoulder cover secs! tions 87 which overlie the lateral sides or shout.- ders of the back of the chair; The cover is pros. vided also with a seat cover section compr sin a panel 21 which may be a continuation of the panel .lfibut usually is connected to the bottom edge of the latter by a seam 2.2,- as indicated in Fig. 6; Surplus. material at the lower edge of the panel [6 and the rear edge of the anel 2! is provided for tucking into the crevice or space between the, lower end of the. back rest H and the rear end ofthe seat, lzl al o as sug ested Fig. 6:. Around the sides and forward edge of the seat cover panel 2| is provided a drop or vertical panel 22 for covering the sides of the seat upholstery and to the lower edge of panel 22 is attached a pleated panel 23, except as here inbefore described.

Arm rest cover sections, each indicated generally by the numeral 24, are provided which are attached to the respective side or shoulder panels H by seams 25 and to the rear panel 20 by seams 26 and by seams 2-1 to the adjacent edges of the panel IS, the seam 21 being a continuation of the seam 25. The arm cover sections or panels 24 are elongate in form, that is, they are substantially longer than they are wide, and as shown in Fig, 7, are free along their longitudinal and forward edges and along said edges are provided each with an elastic insert 28. The ends of the elastic inserts are anchored at or adjacent points 29 and 30, as shown in Fig. 7 of the respective panels, and while the elastic inserts enable the panels to be stretched out to cover the upholstery of the arm rests, they tend to contract and to gather the material of the arm cover sections to the somewhat irregular forms indicated in Fig. 2. These arm cover sections, however, can, when the cover otherwise has been placed in position on the chair, be drawn forwardly over the upholstered arm rests l4 and wrapped neatly around the arm rests as suggested in Fig. '7 to provide neat enclosures for the upholstered arm rests. The edges of the arm rest cover sections l4 generally are provided with upholstery pins or hooks 3| by means of which the edges can be secured one to the other or to the upholstery of the portions 14.

Where the upholstered portions of the arms of a given chair are shorter than the length of the arm rest cover sections 24 of the improved cover, it is merely necessary to roll the forward end portion of the cover section inwardly about the elastic portion of the edge as a center in placing the cover sections in final position. Hence, the arm cover sections readily can be adjusted to accommodate themselves to upholstered arm portions that vary in length and width and upon being drawn down around the arm rest sections of the chair, due to the elasticity of the edges thereof, tend to hold the covers tautly in position although, as stated above, upholstery hook 3| preferably are provided.

Inasmuch as the lower portions of the upright sections l of the arms are attached to the base of the chair, the portions of the pleated panel 23 along the sides of the chair are severed, as indicated in Fig. 3, up to the seam 32 which preferably is of the piping type and is provided with a drawstring therein. Hence, notwithstanding that the lower end of the arm section I5 of each arm is anchored to the side of the chair, the vertical edges of the pleats formed by the slits can be passed down adjacent the arms so that the cover when in place has the appearance, as shown in Fig. l, of extending along the inside face of the arms. The pleats are of a vertical length such that the seam 32 is located above the level of the points of securement of the lower ends of the arms to the base of the chair frame. The portions 23a of the pleated panel 23 adjacent the slits referred to are not attached to the panel 22 but are independently slidable on the drawstring 33 that extends through the piping 32 as indicated in Fig. 8. The adjustable portions of each end section 23a which are supported by the drawstring only, may extend three or four inches horizontally, that is, from the free edges of theslits to points 34 (see Fig. 8) where the piping preferably is attached to the panel 22. The portions 23a thus can be adjusted or gathered along the cord and when the seat cover section has been drawn down over the seat of the chair the portions 23a are adjusted with respect to the lower portion I5 of the arm as may be necessary, depending on the location of the portion l5 of the arm with respect to the forward end of the chair. As stated, providing adjustable sections 23a having a total horizontal length of about eight inches has been found to be sufficient in accommodating these sections to chairs of different makes the lower end portions of the arms of which may be located at different distances from the fronts of the chairs.

The back rest cover section illustrated is provided with rearwardly extending panels or flaps 35 located immediately below the arm cover sections 24 for covering the lower portions of the sides of the back rest disposed between the level of the rear of the arms and the level of the seat proper. The panels 35 are of sufficient length to pass around to the rear of the chair beneath the panel 20 which, as shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4, is free at its edges downwardly from substantially the level of the rear ends of the chair arms.

After the panels 35 have been tucked under the panel 20 on each side of the chair and the rear ends of the panels 22 likewise have been passed under the panel 20, the free lateral edges of the latter are drawn into place and secured tautly across the back of the chair by means of hooks 36 or the like.

The piping 32 is secured to the front of the cover and along the sides to adjacent but short of the rear edges of a chair of conventional dimensions, except that the piping is free to slide on the cord at the portions adjacent the lower ends of the arms as shown in Figs. 4 and 8. The pleated strip is not attached to the rear panel 20, as shown in Fig. 4. The pleated panel 23 terminates at one end adjacent a rear corner of the chair, as shown in Fig. 4, while the other end of the panel is extended sufiiciently to be drawn completely across the rear of the chair over the rear panel 20 to the other end of the pleats where the ends of the drawstring 33 may be attached together as shown in Fig. 5 for securing the pleated panel neatly in position. The pleats can be adjusted on the drawstring as may be necessary to cause the ends of the pleats to meet neatly at the corner where the ends of the strings are tied.

By means of the improvements above described, it will be seen that the cover can readily be placed in position on a chair and the adjustable section of the panel 23 at each side of the chair shifted horizontally as may be necessary to accommodate the cover to the particular location of the vertical arm sections of the chair. It will also be seen that the arm rest cover sections 24 can readily be placed upon the upholstered portions of the arm rests with the longitudinal edges of the sections concealed beneath the arm rests and the tensioned forward ends of the sections presenting a neat, close fitting appearance at the forward ends of the upholstery of the arm rests. The improved cover thus leaves uncovered the ornamental exposed wood portions of the arms, thereby preserving the characteristic styling of chairs of the type mentioned.

' While I have shown and described the details of the present improvements, it will be apparent that variations in the particular construction described may be utilized within the spirit of the invention defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A slip cover for an upholstered chair having 1 arms extending forwardly from the back rest of the chair to a plane rearwardly of the front of the chair and thence downwardly past the seat of the chair to and secured to the sides of the chair base, said cover comprising a seat cover section provided with a covering panel for the upper surface of the seat and depending front and side panels for covering the corresponding portions of the seat, and a strip of depending pleats secured by a seam including a drawstring along the upper edge thereof to said front panel of the seat cover section and along the major portions of the side panels, said strip of pleats being severed along vertical lines at the sides thereof in the region of the lower two ends of the arms of the chair to enable the ends of the strip formed by each line of severance to be passed downwardly along the front and rear surfaces of the lower ends of the respective arms, the end portions of the strip at each side of the lines of severance being slidably supported on said drawstring independently of the adjacent portions of said strip whereby said end portions can be adjusted horizontally into contact with the adjacent portions of the lower ends of the respective arms.

2. A slip cover for an upholster d chair having arms extending forwardly from the back rest of the chair to a plane rearwardly of the front of the chair and thence downwardly past the seat of the chair to and secured to the sides of the chair base, said cover comprising a seat cover section provided with a covering panel for the upper surface of the seat and depending front and side panels for covering the corresponding portions of the seat, a strip of depending pleats secured by a seam along the upper edge thereof k to said front panel of the seat cover section and along the major portions of the side panels, said strip of pleats being severed along vertical lines at the sides thereof in the region of the lower ends of the arms of the chair to enable the ends of the strip formed by said lines of severance to be passed downwardly along the front and rear surfaces of the lower ends of the arms, and horizontal means slidably supporting said end portions of the strip adjacent the front and rear sides of the lower ends of the respective arms whereby said end portions can be adjusted independently into contact with the respective arms.

3. A slip cover for a chair having an upholstered back rest, an upholstered seat, and arms extending forwardly from the back rest to a plane adjacent the forward end of the seat and thence downwardly past the sides of the seat and attached at the lower ends to the sides of the base of the chair and provided with upholstered arm rests on the forwardly extending portions of the arms, said slip cover comprising a cover portion for the seat of the chair, said cover portion comprising a top panel for covering the upper surface of the seat and depending front and side panels extending from the top panel downwardly to cover the corresponding portions of the seat and base of the chair, a cover portion for the back rest comprising front, rear and side panels secured together to provide an enclosure open at the bottom and adapted to be drawn down over the upper end of the back rest for covering the portion of the back rest above the level of said arms, said front panel extending downwardly beyond said arms and being attached at the lower end thereof to said top panel of the seat cover section, said back rest cover section being pro vided with horizontally extending flaps adapted to cover the portions of the side of the back rest of the chair between the arms and the seat of the chair, and arm cover sections comprising elongate p-aneis of greater length and width than the length and circumference respectively of the upholstered arm rests, each of said elongate panels being attached at a rear end portion thereof to the sides of the back rest cover section above the respective flaps and each provided with an elastic insert extending along the longitudinal and forward edges thereof and anchored to the respective elongate panel adjacent the rear end thereof and of a normal length less than the combined length of said edges for effecting normally a longitudinal contraction of the elongate panel whereby said panels upon distention of the clastic inserts are adapted to be adjusted over the upper surface of said upholstered arm rests and wrapped around the same to the lower surfaces thereof, said panels being provided with means for securing the panels in said covering relation on the upholstered arm rests.

LIONEL C. LENZ.

REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Mednick Aug. 31, 1937 Number 

